Benoit Lahouze Speaking In Dublin About French Pension Strike
Benoit Lahouze, a French university lecturer and CGT trade union activist, was the keynote speaker at an Éirígí-organised public meeting in Dublin on Saturday (January 18th). The CGT, which is one of France’s oldest and largest trade unions, is the lead union in a pension strike which has been ongoing since December 5th.
In his contribution, Benoit explained that the ‘reforms’ that French President, Emmanuel Macron, is attempting to implement will both increase the pensionable age from 62 to 64 years of age and reduce the level of pensions that are paid out to millions of French workers.
A wide range of public and private sectors have joined the strike with everyone from opera singers to train drivers and lawyers to refinery workers taking to the picket lines to defend their pension rights.
Benoit also explained that the fight to defeat Macron’s pension ‘reforms’ was part of wider battle to defend pensions schemes across Europe, where many governments are attempting to increase the age of retirement. Here in Ireland the pensionable age has already been increased to 66 years of age and its set to increase to 68 by 2028.
Other themes that Benoit spoke about included mainstream media hostility to the strike; police violence against strikers and protesters; cooperation between the yellow-vest movement and the organised labour movement; high levels of public support for the strike and the decision to go for an open-ended strike.
Benoit’s full contribution can be viewed on the video above.
The revolutionary connection between Ireland in France stretches back to at least the late 18th century. The French revolution inspired the United Irishmen in their demand for an independent Irish Republic.
Today Éirígí is proud to follow in that long and noble tradition of international and class solidarity. We offer our full support and solidarity to the French workers as they strike to protect their pensions and in opposition to the same neo-liberal policies that we are fighting against here in Ireland.